Minority Report

[Griff [Mola]]

You've probably heard good things about this movie and that's because there are good things about this movie. Great things. At one stage, it had me wrapped around its little finger, pushing all my buttons with its combination of sci-fi, mystery, action, adventure and above all, imagination.

But then, maybe half way through the picture, it begins to gradually lose that spark, that thing that made it unique, and by the time the predictable finale unravels onto the screen, you realize that you've just kinda rewatched THE FUGITIVE, or something just as generic.

Its a damn shame. You can sorta sense the passion drain out of this one like fuel out of a punctured gas tank. By the end its just running on fumes and if you're lucky, you won't notice, but there's no more 'vroom' and it just seems to roll to its inevitable conclusion, subsisting on its initial thrust.

Without its otherworldy sense, this movie ain't much chop and its a great waste that it couldn't maintain the inventiveness of its spectacularly compelling and creative first half.

Oh, its not as if the two halves are the inverse opposites of each other, one all good and the other all bad its just that...

Well, imagine this movie started off as a kid wanting to be a fire man. By the end, its just a fireman.

How's that for a Harry Knowles typa review?

[Jon]

Yeah, pretty much have to agree. The first half went by quite nicely and it was easy enough to let little plot holes slip by, but by the end I felt like I'd seen an episode of INSPECTOR REX. Did we really need to have the events of the film explained repeatedly by the cast? And unfortunately those plot holes just kept getting wider & impossible to ignore. However, it was nice to see a cast member from TOXIC AVENGER get a fair amount of screen time in a big hollywood film...

[Griff [Mola]]

Seriously, I thought it had potential and was impressed at first but Spielberg dropped the ball yet again. What a sack.

How RAIDERS was that fight in the production plant, though? I was expecting the Indy theme to kick in at any moment.

"Jones!"

P.S. Thanks for replying Jon, here's the 5 bucks I promised ya.

[Jon]

I'm just surprised that I finally got my lazy arse out to see something on the big screen and so I had to post about it (even though we actually wanted to see MIB2 and read the screening schedule incorrectly )
Yep, Spielberg threw in a bit of Indy there, plus a bit of MATRIX, STRANGE DAYS, RUNAWAY, FARENHEIT 451, not to mention enough product placements and plot contrivances to make the producers of a James Bond film blush.
Geez, I sound like I'm beginning to dislike this film...guess I've had a few days to pick over its corpse. It's weird how I can repeatedly enjoy screenings of futuristic tripe like OUTLAND which is so amazingly stupid and illogical, yet I doubt I'll watch MR again. Maybe Spielberg should have cast more guys with beards and baseball caps....

[Griff [Mola]]

I dunno about baseball caps but you can never have enough beards in movies, something sorely lacking from today's crop.

[Remo D]

Quite liked it, actually--I just haven't gotten around to posting any "Beaten Track" items in ages (does anyone really need to know what I thought of SUPER TROOPERS, for instance?).

Yes, I was a bit disappointed at the turns it took in the last half hour...


SPOILER (POSSIBLY)


...but I also felt it was a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation they were written into. If Cruise had shot the man, then it would have been "inescapable fate," and the truth is, we've seen that done zillions of times in low budget movies and TV dramas.

But the second he breaks the chain, then the film is obliged to come up with this, that and the other thing to bring the story to a "real" conclusion. I felt they did quite well with what they needed to do, and that MINORITY REPORT is one of Spielberg's most absorbing and entertaining films.

[Darth Tanner]

I caught this the other night and actually enjoyed it as well. I wasn't really disappointed with the final act as most people were. The acting, story, special effects, etc. were all top-notch and this turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen this year. As far as Spielberg flicks go, I seemed to like A.I a little better but I guess it's because I have a soft spot for that movie.

[Countess Gore]

I saw it yesterday! I loved it! Great plot, tom was so good in it too.

[I am 138]

It was pretty good. Certainly the film I enjoyed the most of Spielberg's since Raiders. Of course, the fact that it IS a Spielberg makes me cringer before I even sit down in the theatre normally.